Lara's Journey
by DarkAdvent
Summary: Lara is a young girl with quite a mysterious past. Why did she stop Dancing all those years ago? What were the circumstances which Perne helped her escape? How did she end up with the Magi Group in Manster? All of those questions have an answer. Everyone has a story, after all. Thracia 776 Fanfic.
1. The Yearning Dancer

_Author's Notes:_

 _Hello everyone! This is my very first attempt at writing fanfiction (and fiction in general...) and this will be based around my favorite Fire Emblem game: Thracia 776. This game features a massive cast of 54 characters, and with no Support Conversation system, you can imagine that most of the cast received very little development at all. This story will try to expand on Lara, a young Thief accompanied by Brighton and Machyua, a married couple of Knights. Lara's under-explored backstory is revealed to us if she's the one to recruit Perne later in the game, after which she regains confidence to become a Dancer again. This is my take on trying to expand Lara's origin as a character and giving some development to a few other criminally underdeveloped characters in the game as well. Those will come in future chapters (I have 4 more Chapters planned as of now)._

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

it was the Gran Year 776, as the continent on Jugdral was submerged in crisis due to the Grannvale Empire. The only place not completely dominated by the fierce Emperor Arvis was the Thracian Peninsula, which was divided between the Kingdom of Thracia to the south and the Manster District to the north.

Dark clouds reigned over the evening sky, and a storm soon fell down upon the Thracian Peninsula that night. The rain went particularly hard onto the city of Mease, where the outskirts of town were always filled with life during the coldness of the night.

The area was particularly known for its canteens and motels, which were preferred over the downtown's due to the lesser amount of Knights guarding the streets at night. This meant much more things happened at these places, and a lot of them were used for pleasures that the law just wouldn't have…

"Hey there! Kid! Get over here and wait for someone to fetch ya!" were the words uttered by a tall yet disgusting man, as his words could be heard at the back of a slightly famous canteen. The sound of crickets being missing due to the rain.

"My name is not Kid… I'm Lara! You should know it since I've been with you my entire life!", was the reply from whom the man was referring to. A shockingly young, slender girl with her jet-black hair being held up by a single ponytail. She was crying, but with the rain soaking her entire self, it was barely noticeable.

"Why can't you just call me by my true name!?" she screamed as her frustration grew.

"Hahaha… You think we are playing, huh!? HUH!?" the man walked out the door exposing himself to the intense rain. His anger grew as he stood right in front of the broken girl. He gave her a devilish smirk and proceeded to pull her up by her hair. Screams of pain came as expected. He pulled her back to the tavern without ever looking at the girl until they were inside. He pulled her hair up one more time to remind her who the authority was, and then threw her to the ground as she could barely move. Whether it was out of pure fear and shock or she was truly physically injured, the poor girl could not tell.

"Listen, you insolent brat! You have no right to complain or start your little dramas. I will only address you how I actually should! A girl, my property! Your parents sold you for quite a nice bag of gold, so if there's someone you should be yelling at it's them! I don't keep you to raise you, I keep you to dance for as many men and bring me as much money as you possibly can!"

Lara began standing up, as she heard everything the man shouted at her. She then began having a little confidence, and decided to speak her mind.

"... Liar… LIAR!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The man was seriously getting angry now, but decided to hold back and amuse himself with what the little 'stupid' girl had to say.

"No matter what… I refuse to believe that any parent would give up their child to a heartless, inhuman bastard such as you!"

The man only saw her with a stoic expression, and then a smile slowly formed on his face as he began laughing out loud.

"WHAT IS SO FUNNY!?" is everything Lara could say in her desperate situation. Her eyes were more filled with tears than ever, and she could barely speak properly due to how hard she was crying.

"Alright, you wretch. I tried being gentle with you as far as I've had you making me money. But now… I will tell you the truth." he said in a tone full of evil and hatred, as if he himself was never shown what 'love' and 'care' are.

"We saw your pretty little baby face while raiding a village, and tried to deal diplomatically with the two idiots that spawned you. All they did was yell in horror and refused giving you up. So I did what any business man would've done, and I slashed both of them to pieces as we burned to whole village to the ground!"

Lara stood there. Looking at this monster in human flesh. She saw her short yet miserable life flash before her eyes. All those times she danced for disgusting men at taverns around the countryside. All those times where she uttered her young age of 12 to them but they never really cared. All those times many of said men approached her and proposed more gold in exchange of something more than mere dancing. All the times she had to run away in such occasions and accepted the beatings she received for getting off her work without her pay.

After all those years, she finally broke. She curled up in the floor, her eyes being like waterfalls and her mouth making loud, incomprehensible sounds that drew the line between a scream and a sob.

It was then that the man grabbed her by the neck, looking at her dead in the eye.

"Listen, kid. For once I'll do you a favor and assign you with the most decent client I've ever had in my life. No idea why he's here, I've never seen him around, but he sure seems to have his pockets full of gold! I will entrust this one to you, to see if I can at least keep milking you for another couple of years." he said this as he let her go and walked away, not making eye contact with her as he vanished into the crowds of people within the tavern. They were in a separate room, and the music as well as the cheers from the absolutely male audience made sure no one even noticed the events that just happened to the young girl.

She suddenly stopped crying, took very deep breaths and drove her barefoot legs towards the door. She then opened the door and went into the main room of the tavern, starting to look for the upper-class man her boss (she hated to think of him as her owner) was talking about.

The girl walked around and saw nothing but the usual. Ugly, disgusting brutes who had probably all killed someone in their lives, and maybe even killed for a living.

She kept looking around between the brown robes and muscular arms as she kept trying her best to look for someone who stood out. She had received a bunch of offers by many of the people she effortlessly ignored, until she finally spotted a diamond in the rough.

She saw a blue-haired young lad, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and a brown leather vest accompanied by leather pants. He was at the canteen taking a small portion of liquor, obviously waiting for someone to make an appearance.

Lara looked at him from afar, but even then she could tell that this guy was unlike any man she had ever seen in her life. She didn't have a crush, far from it, she'd never fall in love with someone who dared to come to these places. But… She felt something weird emanating from him. A positive aura that every other presence in that cursed pleasure house lacked. She gulped as she remembered how important this particular job was, and she slowly made her way towards him.

She became increasingly nervous, but found enough courage within her broken heart to approach this wonder of a man.

"U-Uhm… Excuse me…" she said from behind the man. He was barely able to hear her due to the commotion that is a trademark of places like this, but he turned around as Lara analyzed his face rather closely.

"Hm? Oh, you're whom that old dastard sent out for me? You seem rather short, but you're pretty enough. The name's Perne."

She couldn't help but notice how handsome he actually was. She seemed like one of those guys she could only get a glimpse of, back when she and the other dancers were held inside a carriage whenever the boss needed to restock at the town square for some supplies. She found herself at a loss of words until she remembered who she even was in the first place.

"Oh! Uhm… I'm… I'm Lara. Nice to meet you Perne…" is what she was barely able to say. Again, she hadn't fallen for him, but she just could not believe a man with such honest and kind airs to him was among that horde of pigs. The young man merely chuckled at her response.

"You're the shy type, eh? I like that… Unlike many of those sluts who act almost with pride of what they do…" Lara gulped at his statement, knowing by experience that there were many dancers like that, which she also found extremely disgusting.

"Same here… I also hate that kind of woman… I only do this because it's all I've ever known… Or been able to do…". Perne simply looked at her in amazement, curious to know such a pure,special and self-conscious girl around these places. He almost felt pity for her… Knowing that being an adult (though certainly not looking like one) her destiny was all but reduced to ashes. He thought she meant that she was not good at anything but dancing, which is why she resorted to work as a dancer. This only made him feel worse, but he then snapped remembering he went there to have fun, not to get depressed.

"Well… I guess we have something in common, then... heheh…" he said in a teasing tone. Lara looked at him almost as if he wasn't human.

"I… I also despise all of the pigs who would ever accept such a horrible way of living, let alone enjoy them for their own pleasure!" Lara said almost as if she was complaining to him, though not with the desperation and built-up rage she yelled at her boss with.

Perne looked at her and now laughed, phased by the fact that she found a female with morals in that cage of filth.

"I think the same, so let me give you a little treat by dancing personally for a humble young man like me." he said with a smirk, standing up while resting his hand on Lara's bare shoulder.

The young girl could do nothing but smile at his behavior. There was something weird… Something that made her feel good that she had never experienced before. She kept pondering as she followed Perne until she realized it: He was the first living human who treated her with respect.

Her boss treated her less than a dog, her co-workers all but ignored her as they had been brainwashed to enjoy living such gross lowly lives, and her clients were no different than when seeing a cat trying to do a flip.

Upon realizing that she was actually being treated like a human being, Perne talked with a muscular man who was guarding a separate section of the tavern. They both walked in as they made their way through several locked doors, until Perne found one that was open.

"This should do it." he said before entering the dark room. He then grabbed the oil lamp besides the door and placed it inside the pitch-black room, revealing a chair and some sort of improvised little stage.

"Well, I hope you don't leave me waiting anymore." is what Perne could say before Lara made her way towards her little stage. It was just then that the band back at the main stage started playing quite the upbeat music, and Lara quickly picked up the pace and started dancing with all she had.

This wasn't another pig, Perne was a legitimately charismatic young man who had so far given the little girl a humane treatment she subconsciously yearned for. This gave her the more reason to do her best as Perne was dashed by Lara's swift and beautiful choreography.

"By the gods… She truly is beautiful…" is the only thing Perne could think before he got lost in Lara's almost hypnotic dance moves.

"Here figure is so small I might as well call her adorable, too…"

Both Perne and Lara got lost within the endless flow of time, until Lara's legs told her that it was a bit too much work for now. She finally stopped after three or four pieces of music had been performed, as Perne quickly came back to reality and could do nothing but cheer at the small girl.

"Hehe… You truly liked it?" she said as she felt something odd and new within her face. She was blushing. No other word of flattery had truly impacted her as much as Perne's.

"Absolutely! You are by far the most talented dancer I've ever seen! And that's coming from a man who hires all kinds of dancers as often as he gets the chance! Your skill and grace are something from another world, you truly have a great future as a dancer!"

Lara sat down at the edge of the little stage as she looked at Perne. She was truly beginning to feel there was a slight chance she might be falling for him. For the first time in her short existence, her heart had started to show signs that she might finally have found her true love.

"Now, strip off your clothes."

"... What?"

She went from feeling warmth in her heart to have all of her expectations thrown at the window of a three-story building. She looked at him in the eye as his positive aura stayed, although it now felt a bit twisted, even his eyes seemed to be a little different from before.

"What you heard, beautiful. Don't worry, I will overpay you for your incredible performance from just now, as well as a nice bonus for this request."

Lara couldn't believe this man. After everything he had done for her, he now suddenly seemed no different from the rest. However… For some reason, her feeling of trust and closeness to him stayed, although they were hidden among her initial shock.

She then remembered that he was indeed just a man looking for some relaxation. She thought that he was far better than any client she ever served to, and for the first and maybe only time in her life, she thought, she was going to act like a mature lady and perform this deplorable act for him without ever hesitating.

Without even frowning or showing the slightest sign of opposition, the young girl let out a deep sigh and prepared herself.

She began removing her red and yellow top as Perne started to have a good look at her physique. He started seeing that she barely had any curves at all, her height complementing that look which only started to make him feel slightly uneasy. He did like any kind of figure on a woman, except being fat of course, but there was something about the short girl which triggered several alarms on his head.

He kept staring at her, much to Lara's extreme embarrassment as he could now fully appreciate her completely undeveloped chest, as the girl had a few tears rolling down her eyes and her arms trying to cover her torso.

It was then that Perne gave a loud gasp, in realization of what he had just done, as his mind entered a state of panic, regret and embarrassment.

Lara got her hands off her chest and started removing her skirt with more tears in her eyes and her face as red as her now removed top, before she heard his gasp and stopped immediately.

Perne then stood up from the chair, looking at Lara's eyes. He saw that they were filled with innocence, a desire to love and a desire to be loved, a purity which could only correspond to a seriously young girl.

He backed off a bit and covered his eyes, now being his own turn to blush.

"STOP! ...You can put all back on..." is everything that managed to come out of his mouth. "I… I am so sorry…"

Lara now had an extremely confused face, though she put all her clothes on without hesitation. It was then that she approached him and tried to analyze what could've possibly happened.

"... You can look now… Hehe…" She didn't know why she started giggling, and was in fact now extremely confused about herself. She had just given up her dignity, and her purity was probably next, but Perne's sudden change of attitude made her laugh in both relief and in severe confusion.

"What's wrong? W-Why did you… asked me to stop?"

Perne opened his eyes and saw the dumbfounded girl in front of him. He was still the one blushing as he lowered his head.

"I… I apologize from every part of my heart… To confirm my fearful question… Could you tell me your age, lil' one?"

Lara then opened her eyes wide, realized that she for once in her life forgot to mention her age to her client. She told it to everyone in hopes they might help her or at least not make her do stuff like what just happened… But she was so trusting of this individual that she forgot everything and did it. For some reason she desired to impress him, and acting like she was a mature woman was part of her plan to do so.

"... Twelve… I'm twelve years old…" she said, now flustered but not nearly as embarrassed as Perne was.

"I knew it… You are just a child… Again, my apologies… I will do or pay anything to you in compensation for this shameful and vile act… I'm so sorry if I hurt you emotionally…"

Lara looked at him. This man, who had just recently treated her humanely and suddenly seemed no better than the rest, was now returning to be the man she initially met. Her face now showed a warm smile.

"It's alright… No need to be embarrassed. You've cared for me despite me being an enslaved dancer in the slums… I thank you for that…" she said as tears started flooding her cheeks once again.

"Don't get that emotional on me! I'm the legendary Perne, and I've got a reputation to keep… That… and I truly despise to see children suffer." as he finished that sentence, his mind also finished processing everything Lara just said.

"... Wait a moment… Did you say enslaved!?"

Lara looked at him in surprise, as he now held her shoulders as he looked her dead in the eye.

"Lara… Are you being forced to do these disgusting things against your will!?"

Lara could only nod in nervousness. On one hand she felt like Gods truly did exist, as maybe he could help her escape, but on the other, she had grown to fear her owner as some demon who always kept her close to his grasp.

"... Yes…" was everything she could utter under her breath.

Perne was shocked. He knew such practices were commonplace among the lowest areas of the continent, but he never imagined he could ever get so close to saving a poor soul like her. He stood up and took her hand, getting both of them standing on the door that lead out of the room.

"W-What will you do, Perne?"

"Get you out of this place. Whether that old bastard likes it or not."

She looked at him in realization of what he wanted. She was willing to help her be free. To get out of the clutches of that evil scoundrel and finally be able to make her own path. She prayed for the best to happen as she still was confused about something he said.

They were walking towards the back of the tavern as Lara tried to ask him if she was on the right tracks.

"... 'The legendary Perne' … No… You're the-"

Perne quickly covered her mouth as he signaled her to keep quiet. He quickly got close to her ear and with a faint whisper confirmed her wild theory.

"Yep. It's me."

Lara was about to pinch her cheek or her arm in desperate hopes that she was not dreaming.

"Perne...the Dandelion Thief..."

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

And that's it for my very first fanfiction. If you managed to read it all, a review would be sincerely appreciated.


	2. An Eternal Gratitude

**Chapter 2: An Eternal Gratitude**

Lara could not believe her eyes. She was holding hands, or well, one hand, with the famous Dandelion Thief of Dakia, Perne. A famed rogue who is said to have an extremely kind heart and who steals to give to the poor rather than himself. She let her imagination run wild at those exact moments while she was filled with both fear and excitement. He was going to help her escape the hellish life she has been enduring all these years and which she thought she would endure until the rest of her days. Freedom seemed ever so close. It wasn't a dream, this was her reality.

Perne walked with her to the backroom of the bar, where a bunch of old and disgusting men were gambling at a table. Among those tasteless pigs was Lara's owner, barely distinguishable from the rest of those horrid enslavers. It seemed like he was the host of this gambling session, since the moment he saw Perne come in with Lara in hand he ordered for them to go take a break. And so, the rest of them left leaving only one handsome man, one pretty girl and an old middle aged man who now seemed more like an ogre.

"Heheh… Excuse me, young man. Has this little girl caused you any trouble? If that were the case, don't worry, fer I will make sure that she learns her lesson!" were the words spat out by the man. This caused Lara to instinctively get behind Perne and lightly hug him from behind.

She remembered all those times she came back without any gold, or her latest client went to speak with him over how 'un-satisfied' they were with Lara's 'boring and stupid' dance moves. How all those times her owner would tie her to a table and grab a whip as her emotionless companions laughed at her while their boss unleashed all his built-in anger and dissatisfaction from life into every one of his lashes.

Perne stepped forward as the girl stood behind him, like a puppy who is too afraid to get a meter away from its owner. But on this instance, the man who wanted to snatch her from her owner was surprisingly the good guy.

"Listen, mister. I think that Lara's dance is really beautiful. One of the best I have ever seen in all my years of wandering. So now, I present you with an offer of a lifetime!" Perne said as he got many bags out of his pockets. All of them giving that jingle sound that is only make by the most precious of metals and jewels.

The man only glanced at the treasure Perne put on the table as a few of Lara's lobotomized companions looked at the two pretty faces in the room. They looked at Perne with an expression of insatiable greed, and glared at Lara with utter hatred and obvious jealousy.

The old man could only laugh.

"Oh, man… Tis' is quite the loot you've got on this table. But… I sadly cannot allow you to take that kid away from me. She seems like she has a nice future under my wing."

"Oh, yeah? Didn't you mean to say 'ownership'? You unforgivable scum?" Perne said with a voice that, according to Lara, didn't match his looks in the slightest.

He sounded angry, yet filled with passion and bravery. Just like she has heard from all the tales people of all towns spoke of when referring to the legendary Dandelion Thief.

"Oh? Have we got an angry client here? Heheh..." the old man said while standing up, knife in hand.

"I'm afraid I can't help you with anything… That little wretch is all mine!" he said with a devilish smirk, charging towards an unmoving Perne. Lara hugged him tightly from behind, afraid of Perne's actions or rather, his lack thereof. Perne seemed like a statue while the old man ran towards them while swinging a small Axe.

"Perne!? MOVE! He's going to kill you!" Lara said in desperation, but she didn't really move either. She felt she could trust Perne, and thus decided to stay still with him.

"You foolish kids will learn who the bo- ARGH!" was everything the dastard could say before he suddenly stopped moving. For a second, Lara was dazzled and didn't realize what just happened. But just then, the man slowly grabbed his own throat, which was sliced through as blood came out of his neck, coughing even more blood out of his filthy mouth. The man started to lose balance as he ultimately fell on his back, and his movement suddenly stopped and his Axe fell from his still, lifeless hands.

"Wha… What... just happened?" Lara could barely speak from the image that met her sight. The source of all her misery, the person she thought was the evil dragon Loptous in human flesh, was now on the floor, coughing as he gave his last breath before giving one last glance at Lara. Their eyes locked, as Lara's face became a waterfall of tears while the man's body became a corpse.

"I… I…" Lara could not formulate words anymore as the senses of shock and relief overwhelmed her small head. Perne could only pet the little girl's head, as a smirk formed in his face while he looked at a new presence in the room, which Lara just noticed. Perne gave a step forward and scratched his head with a little laugh.

"Woah! Nice job, Troude! Though I think you overdid it… This little cutie has probably never seen a dead body, so I think we should get outta here." said Perne as Lara just looked at the judge that applied justice to both her and her brainwashed companions.

He was a rather tall, kind of muscular man. He wore white pants and a blue shirt, all mostly covered by his raw leather armor. His white long hair matched with his face, which starred cold dead eyes and an expression that could easily tell alone of how much blood this man has seen spilled over his life.

Just as she finished analyzing this person and trying to get over her Owner's death, Perne looked back at the door and could hear a few footsteps fading from the other side.

"Well, damn… We need to run. This place is about to turn real ugly unless we do." is what Perne said as he opened the backdoor which led to the freezing storm outside.

Troude then looked at Lara in the eyes and spoke his first words ever since he entered the room.

"You, girl. Jump into my back, and don't let go." Lara didn't even think about his words as if his intimidating glare alone forced her to obey him. She hopped onto Troude's back as Perne charged towards the waterfall outside. Lara and Troude could already hear dozens of footsteps rushing to the room which they were in. "What in the blazes is going on there!?" among other curses were heard on the other side of the door, which Perne smartly locked. Troude then put his dagger into his pocket and decided to bring out a most precious treasure. Lara could only look at the sword he held in awe, as Troude equipped the mighty King's Sword and rushed out into the rainy night as fast as he possibly could.

Troude eventually catched up to Perne and they kept running for quite some time. Lara started to feel sick as the cold water showered her whole being, but after a while, she couldn't tell how long, she just embraced this feeling as it transitioned to an odd soothness. The young girl quickly fell asleep among the sounds of stepping mud, pushing bushes and the feel of an endless flow of water.

* * *

Lara woke up rather uneasy and confused. For a moment she thought the events of the night before were naught but a dream. It was then that she yawned, a sign of a good night's rest, and stood up before analyzing her surroundings. Her owner and the other dancers were nowhere to be seen.

She was in a very decorated room, floor and walls made of stone. The furniture didn't seem rotten or unpainted, and the curtains were a bright magenta. There was a flower pot on top of the drawer and a carpet besides the bed. She then moved her attention to the bed. She had never slept in a proper bed before, she had to cover in rags most nights or with a coat of leather that her owner left for her the days she brought good pay.

While her conditions before falling asleep were rough to say the least, there was no doubt that Lara had the most blissful, comfy and relaxing sleep in her life. Everything that happened last night perfectly came back to her, as she now wondered where Perne and Troude might be. Even with the curtains closed, she could tell it was quite early. She gave another yawn before she looked at the mirror in the room and realized that she was naked.

She walked towards the dresser to look for her clothes, remembering the storm which made her fall asleep in the first place. She looked for her old red rags but what found instead was a brand-new red and yellow dress. She took it and admired every detail of it before putting it on.

"Thus must have been from Perne… Wait. Right! I gotta find Perne!". Lara rushed out of her room and went down a staircase when she noticed a small reception along with a breakfast lounge. The poor girl was about t pinch her arm as she seriously believed she was dreaming, never being witness to a place that looked so elegant when compared to the slums where she was raised. She tried to quickly snap out of it as the clients eating at the place all looked at her, all looking at her kindly almost at once. Lara could only answer with a smile as she ran outside and noticed the striking differences of this environment she found herself in.

No old cracked buildings, no starving people in the streets begging for money, no roads made out of dirt, no questionable locals nor questionable businesses. To Lara, everything around her was made out of happiness, the buildings all carefully crafted and the people all walking in clean, colorful clothes.

It was then that Lara could hear her name being called out, as she looked towards the Blacksmith across the street and saw both Perne and Troude standing there, Perne sporting a smile and waving his arm while Troude merely looked at her with an expression that neared one of boredom. Lara immediately ran off towards them, with a smile full of joy as she realized that this was now her reality. As she catched up to where they were, Lara looked around one last time at her surroundings.

"W-Where… Am I?", she said as Perne took a step forward and looked around as well.

"We're at the very center of Mease. We fled from the outskirts of this big city to the very heart of it. It's impressive really, how divided it all seems. The filthy rich and the lucky get to stay in here, while everyone else is left to their own back at the slums far away from here. It's not like it matters, either way. The stupid Grannvalian Empire and their influence are really starting to make this place miserable. Imperial troops all over the place, the lot of them picking fights with civilians as the rest have to watch them because we're under their control. That's why I hate crowded cities, you really can't escape the Empire unless you hide far away from these places."

Lara looked at Perne and upon hearing those words, she started to feel somewhat scared. So many things were going through her head now that she just spoke up to him.

"Perne. You… You cannot possibly believe how grateful I am for everything you've done for me… My freedom, these beautiful clothes… Everything I wished for back then has come true. But now what? What am I supposed to do from here? The friends of that old dastard will certainly put me up as a fugitive and put a price on my head..." she said as a few tears started forming in her eyes.

"I have no parents, no place to call home…" she felt like she wanted to say more but felt like she might have made her point fairly well. She looked up to Perne who was now clearly trying to think of something. Just as he was about to talk, Lara interrupted him.

"Perne… Can I go home with you? To your Mansion in the Dakia forest?"

Perne's expression went from trying to explain something simple to a frown, a step back and eyes which gave off a mild sense of panic.

"Uhm… You what? Haha! Sorry, Lara… I don't think that's a good idea." he said as sweat started to appear on his face.

Lara tilted her head in confusion. "Why is that?". Perne seemed to be in a hurry to say something as he quickly looked at Troude, who merely sighed.

"Well, for starters, do you have any idea of how dangerous it would be? I'm a famous outlaw! We run into plenty of Mercenary groups trying to take us on and I'm still afraid that the Empire might knock on our door one of these days. That wouldn't be good for ya! You'd be framed as an accomplice of my acts, and be thrown into a stinky dungeon if that happened!". Perne avoided looking at Lara as much as he could, but Lara kept moving and trying to take a good look at his face, not knowing why he was suddenly like this, she never thought the Dandelion Thief could ever be as panicked as he was right in front of her.

"No worries! I owe you my life, and if it means I can be there to do anything… To show you how grateful I am… I'm willing to take the risk!" Lara said with a bright smile on her face, Perne still ashamed of laying eyes on her.

"Haha! Listen Lara, I freed you from that hellhole with no intentions like tha. I don't want you to pay me in return! You're just a pretty little lass who deserves better than to be tangled in my problems! Oh! Did I also mention that my Mansion is a total mess? Filled to the brim with dust, trash and bugs! Yeah, bugs everywhere you go! With the smell of leftovers and booze filling the air! You can't possibly want that!". Perne smiled to himself, he thought he had her beat.

"Well… My Ow-..." she got mere chills of thinking about that man. "... When our traveling group set down, they always had me do the chores. I think I know just enough about cleaning to make sure the Mansion is crisp clean in no time!"

Perne was speechless. And in fact, her determination to go with him started to annoy him a bit. He started thinking to himself of what he could say now.

 _Damnit! I really don't need a kid in my Mansion. She's no use for me and even if her dance is pretty, I can't have a child Dancing for me! That will ruin my reputation in no time! Ahhh...What can I do now…_

Perne looked with a guilty look at Troude, who shockingly smiled and even chuckled a bit. It was then that Troude took a step forward and spoke, for what Lara recorded as the second time he ever spoke.

"Listen kid… I will tell you from my own experience that the Mansion is not a good place for you. Take of that what you will. But… I do have an idea of what you could do from now."

Both Perne and Lara looked up to Troude in wonder as to what he meant. Perne looked at him as if he wanted to break down and kneel to thank him, and Lara just looked in wonder as to what he could possibly say.

"Not that far from Mease is Manster to the north. It won't take more than two days if we walk steadily with no distractions. Manster might be an imperial city, but many Bards and street Dancers find their way to make a living there. Besides, it's far enough from here that you won't have to worry about bounty hunters. As for the people… I know for a fact they can be very kind, especially for a case like yours. You'll have to make a living for yourself, and that's no easy feat, but in that city you might find it a little less daunting."

The three of them stood there as other people walked by, not even batting an eye due to the business of the city in the high end of the morning. Lara's face got brightened yet again due to the information Troude provided, and Perne sighed in relief, almost ready to collapse on the floor as Troude got him out of this pinch.

"Well! It's decided! Lara can head to Manster and we'll return to our own errands, right Troude?"

"You want this girl to travel all by herself?" Troude replied, leaving Perne a bit frustrated of not thinking about this before. It was then that Troude put his hand on Perne's shoulder.

"I'll make sure Lara arrives to Manster safely. You don't have to pay me any extras for that."

It was now Lara's turn to be shocked. "R-Really!? You'd do that for me!?"

"Sure…" Is everything Troude managed to say before reverting to his usual, quiet self. Meanwhile, Lara's eyes filled with excitement as Perne could almost start dancing right then and there because of the huge problem Troude got off his back.

"Well, I think you and the little lass should get your things ready!" said Perne, sort of recovering his serious tone. "Lara, I have some things to do elsewhere, but I seriously want you to-"

Perne was about to finish his sentence before being hugged by the young girl. Perne could only sigh and smile at Lara's obviously huge gratitude.

"Thank you, Perne… I promise you that I'll never forget what you did for me… Even if you aren't the perfect goodie everyone makes you out to be." Perne opened his eyes wide, ended the hug and went to look at Lara's face, which was now filled with a childish smirk which made Perne go back to his shameful self. Lara laughed.

"So… The thing about your Mansion being a dirty dungeon filled with Dancers wasn't a rumor, huh?" Lara said, as for the first time since Perne knew her, she showed a bit of confidence towards him.

"Y-Yeah… Sort of… But please-"

"Oh? Don't worry, I'm not telling anyone." she giggled. "After all, I still owe you my freedom, right?" she said as Perne got back his prideful smile. Again.

"Alright… I trust you, kid. And remember, always follow your heart and be true to yourself. You might only be starting now, but I see a very good future in your eyes, be it at Dancing or something else."

"Thanks, Perne." is what Lara said before letting go of him, following Troude back at the blacksmith as he received a repaired King's Sword and a brand new Silver Sword. Troude handed the King's Sword to Perne, and they both shaked hands before Perne made a hand sign towards Lara, as the Dandelion Thief turned back and disappeared into the city.

"So… Are you ready for us to part?" Troude said to the curious Lara as she got her last glimpse of this city full of beauty and light. They both made their way towards the border and officially started their way towards Manster, the last step in Lara's voyage towards her freedom. But even the excitement of the young Dancer and the skill of the cold Myrmidon would not stop them from coming across any dangers...

 _To Be Continued..._

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Author's Notes: Thanks if you've read my work this far! This time I tried to keep dialogue consistent and did my best to focus on the scenery without doing so too much. Sorry if I took this long for this second chapter, real life can be busy at times. I seriously hope you enjoy it and feedback is always appreciated, peace!


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